The Swami Vivekananda centre for youth counselling and positive thinking was formally inaugurated at the Ramkrishna Math in Nirala Nagar on Saturday.

The Swami Vivekananda centre for youth counselling and positive thinking was formally inaugurated at the Ramkrishna Math in Nirala Nagar on Saturday.

It is one of the 10 centres launched in collaboration with the government of India and the Ramkrishna Mission across the country and the first in the city.

The centre will cater to the psychological needs of the young between 13 and 24 years and offer them the right guidance. The aim is to deal with the hopes, aspirations, anxiety and fears, depression and agonies of the youth.

"As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the latest thinking is to prevent mental illness by promoting mental health through community-based and pro-active rather than reactive approach with the ideal prevention is better than cure," said Swami Muktinathananda, secretary of the Ramkrishna Math.

As a part of the programme, psychiatrists, counsellors and monks would reach out to schools, colleges and universities in and around Lucknow as well as in remote rural and semi-urban areas to conduct counselling, workshop and seminars which would spread life skills and education through direct interaction.

In order to reach out to more youngsters, the programme also incorporates internet services including video conferencing, answers to queries and sessions through email etc.

Beginning from September 2012, the programme would continue till February 2014.

Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, secretary secondary education and chief guest for the inaugural function said, "We are glad that Lucknow is among the 10 cities selected for the project. We would try to benefit a large number of youth from the sessions that would ease them of their mental stress."

Negative thinking, depression, anxiety are becoming a common feature among youth. India tops the list of suicide cases in the world in 2011-12 according to a worldwide survey.